Yoder Converts WMA Bow-Buck Into New Truck

The 2023 GON Truck-Buck Shoot-Out, the finale of last season's big-buck contest, went the distance with exciting extra rounds at the egg from 60 feet.

Brad Gill | August 8, 2023

It took four rounds at 60 feet, and Gerald Yoder finally won the 2023 Truck-Buck Shoot-Out.

With a fully loaded Chevy pickup from John Megel Chevrolet on the line, there was still that sense of GON Community in the air. As Public-Land Wildcard winner Gerald Yoder and Week 10 winner Sy Crumley competed in a head-to-head duel from 60 feet in Rounds 7-10 shooting at raw eggs, there were hand shakes and fist bumps back and forth through the entire nerve-racking ordeal. In the end, it would be Yoder who was able to capitalize on the opportunity after Sy missed his Round 10 shot at 60 feet. When Yoder broke his egg, the Chevy keys were his.

“I’m probably the last Yoder to be in a Truck-Buck Shoot-Out,” he laughed during his Shoot-Out practice. The Yoders and the entire Mennonite community have long had a special relationship with

There have been lots of Yoders who have qualified, but in our 34 years of Shoot-Out memories, he’s the only Yoder to ever win the Truck-Buck Shoot-Out.

Of course Sy didn’t leave empty-handed by any means. He won the runner-up grand prize, a Firminator by Ranew’s Outdoor Equipment.

All 21 deer hunters in the Truck-Buck Shoot-Out were already big winners. In addition to killing great deer—the biggest prize of all—five bow season weekly winners earned Mathews V3X bows, and the 11 winners during gun season earned Savage rifles. Plus, the Week 6 winner during the primitive-weapons/youth season won a CVA Accura LR-X break-action muzzleloader from the X-Treme Rifles series. All 21 weekly winners were given personalized Shoot-Out shirts from Realtree, HSS safety harnesses from Hunter Safety Systems and prize packages from 4S Advanced Wildlife Solutions. The four wildcard qualifiers won $250 gift cards from AgriSupply and a 30-Can Soft Coolers from Rugged Road Outdoors.

Another year of Truck-Buck begins on opening day of Georgia’s bow season on Sept. 9. Join us for Truck-Buck 35! The key to joining this GON contest is to be a part of the community by having your GON subscription up to date. Then, when you kill a Georgia buck this season, simply enter through our simple online entry form. You could be on the Shoot-Out stage next year.

The Yoder family with their new Chevy pickup from John Megel Chevy.

The five weekly bow winners were all given new Mathews V3X bows.

Carly Jane Jordan may not have won the Shoot-Out, but she currently has the all-time No. 3 buck from Carroll County and she earned this CVA muzzleloader as the Week 6 winner.

Just before the Shoot-Out began, Gerald stopped by the Seek One booth and met former Truck-Buck Shoot-Out winner Lee Ellis. Lee signed a Seek One hat for Gerald, who wore it for good luck during his win.